TAT Expects A Not-So-Exciting Songkran In 2012

[webfact]

TAT expects a not-so-exciting Songkran in 2012

BANGKOK, 17 March 2012 (NNT) - The Thai tourism authority is expecting a not-so-exciting Songkran holiday this year, due to a number of negative factors.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said on Friday that the country’s travel industry will not likely enjoy a good time during the upcoming Songkran festival in April.

Mr. Thawatchai said that such negative factors as rising oil prices and a shift in traveler’s behavior towards destinations within their vicinity are to blame for the gloomy outlook.

He added that the higher cost of living, as evident in rising consumer goods prices, is also forcing holidaymakers to shorten their vacation drastically.

Still, the TAT’s Deputy Governor is hopeful that at least the number of travelers during the Thai New Year holidays will rise from last year’s records by approximately 2%.

-- NNT 2012-03-17

[laurentbkk]

oh well Happy Songkran then ..... I wont be here again this year ... I usually take this period of time to go to Europe.

[Soutpeel]

_{WHAT !!!!......TAT actually actually suggesting everything is not rosey in Thailand, from a tourism point of view must be a first for sure}

_{And another first....they havent published any BS statisic's along with the article only saying they are "hopeful"}

Edited March 17, 2012 by Soutpeel

[AleG]

Considering how exciting the previous two have been, I'm all up for a boring one.

[ratcatcher]

_{WHAT !!!!......TAT actually actually suggesting everything is not rosey in Thailand, from a tourism point of view must be a first for sure}

_{And another first....they havent published any BS statisic's along with the article only saying they are "hopeful"}

That's Amazing, in fact it's a bloody Miracle.

[jonclark]

_{WHAT !!!!......TAT actually actually suggesting everything is not rosey in Thailand, from a tourism point of view must be a first for sure}

_{And another first....they havent published any BS statisic's along with the article only saying they are "hopeful"}

That's Amazing, in fact it's a bloody Miracle.

Amazing it maybe ...but they are still expecting an increase in numbers of 2%. Even when its raining it still sunny. Aw well at least those poor over worked immigration officials can breath a sigh of relief now.

[happysanook]

arresting people for drinking on songkran in public doesn't help things...

[Soutpeel]

arresting people for drinking on songkran in public doesn't help things...

One hopes the boobie police are not out this year.....really lifts the spirits when there are some bare breasted females running about on Songkran....all sweaty and wet

[happysanook]

arresting people for drinking on songkran in public doesn't help things...

One hopes the boobie police are not out this year.....really lifts the spirits when there are some bare breasted females running about on Songkran....all sweaty and wet

the boobie police need to chill...no doubt.

[alainbkk]

At least, the Exciting "Phuket International Songkran Soccer 7s" will be held on the 14th April with local/expat and oversea teams!!!

Since 2003, the Thai Soccer 7s tournaments are organizing in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket and are bringing each year thousand of players from oversea countries. In 10 years, we had never get any support from the TAT, despite several requests without any response from their side as usual...

[jackcorbett]

Two years ago, i decided to do an experiment here in Naklua during Songkran. My goal was to hang out at my condo and the next door Long Beach Hotel., go only to nearby restaurants and bars and to see if I could stay dry until the very last day of Songkran, then go out, get totally wasted and wet but only on the last day. I made it until two days before the last day. A friend of mine and I went up an alley that's between my condo and Long Beach to get to the Family Mart for a pack of cigarettes. We only had about forty meters of potential exposure to out of control holiday makers. While walking into the Family Mart we noticed a pickup truck had parked right in front of it and people in the truck were squirting everyone they could see walking into the Family Mart and the ATM machine just outside. We actually got through that gauntet but when we got inside the Family Mart and were standing at the cashier's counter several Thais came in and completely drenched us. That did it. I made a vow from then on. And that is during the entire week of Songkran here in Pattaya I'll be gone. It doesn't matter where as long as I do not contributed one baht to the local economy. This is my protest, not that it's going to change things here one iota. So last year I went to Krabi and divided my time between a remote beach on Phi PHi Don and at Ao Nang Beach. Didn't have one person try to get me wet. This year it's going to be somewhere else. Right now I'm thinking, Hong Kong.

[anterian]

Songkran seems to be getting increasingly vicious, This year I have had enough of water. After the floods I bought a high pressure jet spray machine to clean the slime off my walls, as this has a range of about 30 metres it should keep most idiots at a safe distance from my patio.

[WackySomchai]

Surely the Puea Thaksin government can release their redshirt thugs again, making this year's Songkran a lively one.

[jonclark]

Two years ago, i decided to do an experiment here in Naklua during Songkran. My goal was to hang out at my condo and the next door Long Beach Hotel., go only to nearby restaurants and bars and to see if I could stay dry until the very last day of Songkran, then go out, get totally wasted and wet but only on the last day. I made it until two days before the last day. A friend of mine and I went up an alley that's between my condo and Long Beach to get to the Family Mart for a pack of cigarettes. We only had about forty meters of potential exposure to out of control holiday makers. While walking into the Family Mart we noticed a pickup truck had parked right in front of it and people in the truck were squirting everyone they could see walking into the Family Mart and the ATM machine just outside. We actually got through that gauntet but when we got inside the Family Mart and were standing at the cashier's counter several Thais came in and completely drenched us. That did it. I made a vow from then on. And that is during the entire week of Songkran here in Pattaya I'll be gone. It doesn't matter where as long as I do not contributed one baht to the local economy. This is my protest, not that it's going to change things here one iota. So last year I went to Krabi and divided my time between a remote beach on Phi PHi Don and at Ao Nang Beach. Didn't have one person try to get me wet. This year it's going to be somewhere else. Right now I'm thinking, Hong Kong.

I totally understand your frustration and agree that songkrans are getting more 'aggressive'. IIMHO i think it is a time of year where people just let of steam and usually people get more worked up over the thought of getting wet, than they should. Put yoru mobile in a plastic bag and just go with the flow. I remember years and years ago returning from work on the bus just as songkran was ending and the folks at the side of the street get everybody in the bus wet as the driver forgot to close the doors as he left. At the time annoyed (but slightly cooler), in retrospect it was a bloody good shot (Thais can chuck water better than Iranians can chuck granades that's for sure) And despite getting a soaking it added some spice to an otherwise dull and boring day.

Get drunk, have some fun and stay safe. Or stay in side and hide. I know what i prefer!

[whitejaguar]

still 400 deads and 6000 hospitalised will be expected! :'-(

I will stay inside!

[mrdome]

Hello TAT, well I'm coming on the 13th

... now if you could just get me past immigration at the airport in a reasonable time after the mid-day arrival of the TK flight, please... I guess I'll bring some reading material.

Edited March 17, 2012 by mrdome

[sausageandmash]

This guy is amazing. This time of year is traditionally the worst for tourism anyway, as it's so hot.

Secondly, many people leave Thailand during Songkran, which at best is a childishly annoying "festival" and at worst, dangerous.

Thawat is a very apt name for this guy.

[DoctorG]

My first Songkran in BKK was a novelty and pleasantly provided by the locals. Unfortunately the week long event in Pattaya last time was just stupid.

This year I will be in Cambodia.

[Soi Sauce]

Word is also out that songkran ain't fun no more.Just a load of loutish behaviour that appeals to amindless few.

Tat oughta rein it in before it destroys April's tourist trade.

[rotorbreeze]

arresting people for drinking on songkran in public doesn't help things...

One hopes the boobie police are not out this year.....really lifts the spirits when there are some bare breasted females running about on Songkran....all sweaty and wet

Aw that is the spirit!!!, wearing cloths that dry quickly or go bare breasted which I can do...getting the girls to show what they have complements this crazed event. To capture this my camera is protected in a water-proof container, going a routine 10 minutes scooter ride to my favourite sports club is now about a hour..passing barrels of ice cold water, passing ice delivery trucks parked along croweded sidewalks.

Crazied zombie coloured white powdered faces now alive are packed into a pickup truck welding homemade water cannons side by side shooting anyone or any passing vehicle.

Aw that's the spirit...yes bared breasted females as well as males, half drunk...and to capture this event...priceless!!!

[sausageandmash]

Now all you need to do is fill it with bleach. Suddenly Songkran seems like fun!

Songkran seems to be getting increasingly vicious, This year I have had enough of water. After the floods I bought a high pressure jet spray machine to clean the slime off my walls, as this has a range of about 30 metres it should keep most idiots at a safe distance from my patio.

[anterian]

Now all you need to do is fill it with bleach. Suddenly Songkran seems like fun!

Songkran seems to be getting increasingly vicious, This year I have had enough of water. After the floods I bought a high pressure jet spray machine to clean the slime off my walls, as this has a range of about 30 metres it should keep most idiots at a safe distance from my patio.

Well if you are familiar with thewse machines it does have an attachment for adding things like detergent to the jet stream, perhaps it's time I "cleaned up" my neighbourhood

[Unkomoncents]

This guy is amazing. This time of year is traditionally the worst for tourism anyway, as it's so hot.

Secondly, many people leave Thailand during Songkran, which at best is a childishly annoying "festival" and at worst, dangerous.

Thawat is a very apt name for this guy.

Bangkok can be great for Songkran. You get the whole, relatively modern city minus the hordes of oblivious denizens. You do have to strategize and dodge the occasional squirt-gun-toting, human speed bump, but that's about it.

[khunkeith]

My first Songkran in BKK was a novelty and pleasantly provided by the locals. Unfortunately the week long event in Pattaya last time was just stupid.

This year I will be in Cambodia.

I agree 100%. I was in Pattaya 4 years ago for Songkran and never again. The tourists take it beyond the fun stage. It's supposed to end at sundown daily and start again at sun up. Give you a chance to go back to your hotel, shower off the dirty water and go out for a nice dinner and some bar hopping. My friends and I did just that and went out about 7PM and, drunken farangs poured dirty water on us. These idiots had Thai girls with them telling them it was over at sundown.

[Bagwan]

I wonder how all the additional visitors that are gradually replacing farangs, viz. Arabs and peoples from the sub continent, will view Songkran.

[waza]

Mr. Thawatchai said that such negative factors as rising oil prices and a shift in traveler’s behavior towards destinations within their vicinity are to blame for the gloomy outlook.

I guess its because millions of red shirts will go to Laos to join Taksin.

[CHANGOVER]

I wonder how all the additional visitors that are gradually replacing farangs, viz. Arabs and peoples from the sub continent, will view Songkran.

But they are still 'farangs'

[Thailion]

arresting people for drinking on songkran in public doesn't help things...

Didn't know that...is this true?

[bigbamboo]

Been here in Chiang Mai ten years now and TBH at first Songkran was great fun, especially if you go downtown in a truck in a family group prepared for all out water war on the streets! But as time goes by the novelty wears off. It's still fun here but I have heard it all gets a bit oafish in Bangkok and Pattaya. I guess that could just be because you get a better class of person in Chiang Mai!

[Gers1873]

I hate Songkran in the 'tourist traps' -- too many drunk farang over-indulging and using water cannons to blast everyone they can target through their drunken stupor.

Songkran up-country is generally are calmer quainter affair revolving around Thai culture - the problem is that the roads are death traps so not easy to get there in one piece.

Guess I'll rent some family movies prder some pizza and beer and stay home.